Captain Phillips (2013)

Captain Phillips: Directed by Paul Greengrass. With Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman. The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

“Captain Phillips is a biopic based on 2009u0026#39;s Maersk Alabama hijacking incident, which was an intriguing story and ordeal of the people involved. This film adaptation mostly plays as a straightforward thriller with only brief backstories. In spite of whatever comment regards to the accuracy this film is getting, it didnu0026#39;t hurt how much of an exhilarating piece of cinema this is. Merits obviously goes to director Paul Greengrass and star Tom Hanks. Itu0026#39;s quite predictable what youu0026#39;ll get if you put those talents together, but the result is somehow surprising like youu0026#39;ve never see it coming.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThereu0026#39;s nothing much interesting happening at the first act when the film was exploring the personal life of Richard Phillips, but that seems to be the point: the dreariness of the intro immediately presumes that he really is just an ordinary guy. Though, there isnu0026#39;t actually enough detail about his personal life in those scenes aside of his job and his family, same with the Somali pirate leader, Muse. Everything becomes more alive when the actual plot starts going. Lives turn upside down, tension rises every minute passes, and the humanity of both Phillips and Muse are becoming more and more visible. Itu0026#39;s a down to earth matter of life and death where both sides arenu0026#39;t too perfect enough to succeed or survive, and their actions could end up causing even worse situations.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEven before the release, everybody has already been betting that Tom Hanks will get a nod for this(probably because of the accent or heu0026#39;s just Tom Hanks). Other than mimicking the real Phillipsu0026#39; accent, Hanks really gives his character a palpable sense of fear and pressure. But there is one scene in his performance that will definitely give the viewers a total impact, which it mightu0026#39;ve made the camera linger. That whole scene could be a trick for some to love this movie even more, but even without it, Hanks is still spellbinding as Captain Phillips. Another amazing performance is first time actor, Barkhad Abdi. Abdi manages to be threatening, sympathetic, and strangely charismatic at the same time as Muse, thus it makes the character more effective.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow for Greengrass, his aesthetics are all there. Shaky camera bringing momentum in every action scene, action scenes filled with nerve wracking suspense, and sidelines taking place in control rooms. But this is his challenging side, such as United 93, when there arenu0026#39;t any much explosions nor fighting set pieces practically involved. The title might give one an assumption that the film is about a captain who fights off pirates. But it turns out, theyu0026#39;re just hopeless victims who do not have a single gun to defend themselves from their armed enemies. The kind of thrill here is anxiety. You will always get the sense that there is something wrong going to happen in every step these pirates take, leading the hostages really need to depend on the government and the Navy SEALs. Whatu0026#39;s smart about this is itu0026#39;s all mind games. Theyu0026#39;re troubled by complicated decisions, yet have awareness of naivety. At the second half, the excitement is now relied by figuring out which of them is going to be fooled by whose tricks. By the end of the film, you will then realize how limitlessly enticing it was while realistic at the same time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCaptain Phillips is almost just a very great thriller, then it eventually becomes more powerful. Despite of calling his achievement heroism, it was more like a test of courage. The movie is wise to make sure Phillips is no glossy superhero, but a regular human being who gets to face a situation that may lead anyone to trauma, just to sacrifice the risks of his crew. Simply, that may tend to inspire which is why itu0026#39;s so focused to his point of view. Otherwise, the filmmaking did an astonishing job, although you already know what these people can bring. But surprisingly, it still defies our expectations. Itu0026#39;s amazing how Tom Hanksu0026#39; talent can still surprise many, and how Paul Greengrassu0026#39; obvious style feels unique and fresh (in this movie, at least). Rating the film can be somewhat difficult. Itu0026#39;s so engrossing and excellent, itu0026#39;s hard to notice any terrible flaws about it. Later on, it doesnu0026#39;t matter. Captain Phillips is a satisfying ride that ultimately does its best.”